This invention relates generally to indicators and, more particularly, to electronic position indicators for the gate of a crib.
Most baby cribs comprise a mattress located within a bed frame having four sides, with each side comprising vertical bars positioned between a top molding and a bottom molding. Two opposing sides are vertically displaceable, known as a crib gate, in either a raised (closed) condition or in a lowered (open) position. Lowering the gate is accomplished by displacing a footbar (located at the bottom and just under the bottom molding) which disengages a bottom molding catch from the footbar and then allows the gate to drop downward. Raising the gate is accomplished by simply lifting the gate upwards until the bottom molding catch re-engages the footbar, thereby locking the gate in a raised position.
In most instances, the parent or infant-caretaker will be holding or rocking the baby to sleep. When the parent or infant-caretaker is ready to place the baby on the mattress, the gate is lowered as discussed previously. Usually, the parent or infant caretaker is so focused on positioning the infant on the mattress without waking the infant that frequently the parent or infant-caretaker forgets to raise the gate after the infant is placed on the mattress. The result is that the infant is left in a crib with the gate down. If the infant is old enough to roll and raise himself/herself, the infant could fall out of the crib at a later time because the crib gate remains in an open condition.
Moreover, a recent study conducted by a Temple University researcher has recommended increasing the side heights of cribs to reduce the number of falls from cribs. If this recommendation is followed, the opening and closing of the crib gate by the parent/caregiver should occur more often since raising the height of the crib sides makes it more difficult to place or lift a toddler from the crib without opening the gate. As a result, this increases the chances that a parent/caregiver may walk away from a crib with the toddler inside and with the crib gate left open.
The following U.S. patents disclose some form of indication or warning in association with a baby crib or bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,734,104 (Gollhofer) discloses an alarm for alerting an attendant that the crib gate is in a down position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,030 (Weiss) discloses a safety device for a crib that provides an indicating light or an alarm at the crib to alert a person to the fact that the crib gate is in a down position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,032 (Langsam) discloses a crib rail safety monitor that utilizes a weight sensor for detecting the presence of a child in the crib and an ultrasonic motion detector or infrared temperature sensor for detecting the presence of an attendant at the crib in order to provide an indication or alarm at the crib that the crib gate is down when the child is in the crib and is unattended.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,819 (Valenti) discloses a safety cushion device that is positioned on the floor adjacent the baby crib for cushioning the fall of a child and an alarm for alerting an adult of such a fall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,181 (DePonte) discloses a wet bed alarm and temperature monitoring system for detecting urine on the bed and the temperature of a person lying on the bed and for supplying a remote annunciator panel with such information.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,683 (Slomowitz et al.), whose entire disclosure is incorporated by reference herein, discloses an automatic crib gate indicator that utilizes a remote-enabling means to enable a crib gate sensor that detects the open condition of the crib gate and then transmits a signal to a remotely located indicator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,274 (Slomowitz et al.), whose entire disclosure is incorporated by reference herein, discloses an automatic crib gate indicator that utilizes a crib gate sensor, for detecting the open condition of the crib gate, that is integrated with a baby monitoring system.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,225,913 (Slomowitz et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,433,699 (Slomowitz et al.), whose entire disclosures are incorporated by reference herein, discloses an automatic crib gate indicator that utilizes a crib gate sensor for detecting the open condition of the crib gate and provides a remotely-located indication of that open condition.
However, there remains a need for a non-intrusive crib gate position indicator that provides the parent or infant-caretaker at the crib location, or remote from the crib Location, with an automatic indication or warning of the crib gate being left in an open condition, and which detects the open condition of the gate using non-contact sensing.
An apparatus for use with a baby crib having at least one gate that is movable (e.g., a vertically-displaceable gate, a rotatably-displaceable gate, etc.) with respect to a crib frame. The apparatus has a first portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the moveable gate and a second portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) that is mountable to the crib frame. The apparatus detects the open condition of the movable gate without the first and second portions making contact with each other and with one of the portions providing an indication (e.g., a visual indication, an audible indication, etc.) of the open condition.
A method for detecting the open condition of a movable gate (e.g., a vertically-displaceable gate, a rotatably-displaceable gate, etc.) of a crib having a crib frame. The method comprises the steps of: coupling a first member (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) to the moveable gate and a second member (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) to the crib frame; permitting one of the members to detect the presence of the other one of the members without the members contacting each other; providing an alert (e.g., a visual indication, an audible indication, etc.) in one of the members that the gate is open whenever the presence of the other one of the members is no longer detected.
A method for detecting the open condition of a movable gate (e.g., a vertically-displaceable gate, a rotatably-displaceable gate, etc.) of a crib having a crib frame. The method comprises the steps of: coupling a first member (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) to the moveable gate and a second member (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) to the crib frame; permitting one of the members to detect the presence of the other one of the members without the members contacting each other; providing an alert (e.g., a visual indication, an audible indication, etc.) in one of the members that the gate is open whenever the presence of the other one of the members is either detected or momentarily detected.
An apparatus for use with a hospital bed having at least one gate that is movable (e.g., a vertically-displaceable gate, a rotatably-displaceable gate, etc.) with respect to a bed frame. The apparatus has a first portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the movable gate and a second portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the bed frame and wherein the apparatus detects the open condition of the moveable gate without the first and second portions making contact with each other and with one of the portions providing an indication (e.g., a visual indication, an audible indication, etc.) of the open condition.
An apparatus for use with a door or gate that is movable with respect to a door frame or gate frame, respectively. The apparatus has a first portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the door or gate and a second portion e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the door frame or gate frame, respectively. The apparatus detects the open condition of the door or gate without the first and second portions making contact with each other and with one of the portions providing an indication (e.g., a visual indication, an audible indication, etc.) of the open condition.
An apparatus for use with a baby crib having at least one gate (e.g., a vertically-displaceable gate, a rotatably-displaceable gate, etc.) that is moveable with respect to a crib frame. The apparatus comprises: a first portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the movable gate; a second portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the crib frame, and wherein the first and second portions are configured to detect the open condition of the moveable gate without contacting each other; a transmitter for emitting a wireless signal indicative of the open condition of the moveable gate, and wherein the transmitter forms a part of the first or said second portion and is activated by the first or said second portion when the open condition is detected; and a remotely-located receiver that activates a crib gate open indicator (e.g., a visual indication, an audible indication, a tactile indicator, etc.) whenever the receiver receives the wireless signal.
An apparatus for use with a hospital bed having at least one gate that is movable (e.g., a vertically-displaceable gate, a rotatably-displaceable gate, etc.) with respect to a bed frame. The apparatus has a first portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the movable gate, a second portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the bed frame and an indicator located remote from the bed. The apparatus detects the open condition of the moveable gate without the first and second portions making contact with each other and providing the indicator (e.g., a visual indication, an audible indication, a tactile indicator, etc.) with an indication of the open condition.
An apparatus for use with a door or gate that is movable with respect to a door frame or gate frame, respectively. The apparatus has a first portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the door or gate, a second portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the door frame or gate frame, respectively, and an indicator (e.g., a visual indication, an audible indication, a tactile indicator, etc.) located remote from the door or gate. The apparatus detects the open condition of the door or gate without the first and second portions making contact with each other and with one of the portions providing the indicator with an indication of the open condition.
A baby monitoring system for use with a baby crib having at least one gate that is moveable (e.g., a vertically-displaceable gate, a rotatably-displaceable gate, etc.) with respect to a crib frame. The system comprises: a first portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the movable gate; a second portion (e.g., an emitter, emitter/detector, detector, passive target, etc.) mountable to the crib frame, and wherein the first and second portions are configured to detect the open condition of the moveable gate without contacting each other and wherein the first or second portion generates a first signal indicative of the open condition of the moveable gate; a microphone for converting sounds in the vicinity of the crib into a second signal and wherein the microphone forms a part of the first or second portion that generates the first signal; a transmitter, coupled to the microphone, for wirelessly transmitting the second signal, and wherein the transmitter also wirelessly transmitting the first signal when generated by the first or second portion; and a remotely-located receiver that converts the second signal into sounds and provides a crib gate open indication (e.g., a visual indication, an audible indication, a tactile indicator, etc.) when the first signal is also received.